1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to vehicle restraint systems and in particular those systems configurable to provide different modes of restraint.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various restraint systems are currently available for vehicle seats. The most common configuration is a three-point belt system consisting of a shoulder belt portion extending across the torso of the occupant and a lap belt portion extending across the waist of the occupant (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,434). Three anchor points are provided and include a buckle along one side of a vehicle seat, with a tongue plate slidingly mounted on the belt which is anchored to the floor and can run through a generally fixed guide loop or ring. A seat occupant pulls the tongue to extract belt webbing for connecting the tongue into the buckle with the belt running obliquely across the occupant's torso via a shoulder belt portion and across the occupant's waist via a lap belt portion. In addition, it is also known to have a seat belt system that provides the occupant the option of employing either a three-point or a four-point system (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,673). This is accomplished by providing a supplemental shoulder belt that extends across the torso of the occupant in a generally opposite manner to the shoulder belt portion previously described and attaches to a second buckle mechanism mounted on the opposite side of the seat with respect to the first buckle.
There are also child seat restraint systems that utilize a five-point configuration (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,223). This system employs a dual buckle at the fifth anchor point. This dual buckle is adapted to receive two latch plate tongues simultaneously. In this system, the occupant has only a single fixed belt restraint arrangement for their use. Accordingly, there are no systems that provide for full flexibility by providing occupants with more options in belt restraint arrangements beyond those for either the three or four point restraint system, such as the system shown in the '673 patent.